Expansible hand carrying case for school books, papers, and the like



Oct. 25, 1966 B. L TAYLOR 3,280,871

EXPANSIBLE HAND CARRYING CASE FOR SCHOOL BOOKS, PAPERS, AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 5, 1966 INVENTOR. 5527' L. 7I4YLo/e ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,280,871 EXPANSIBLE HAND CARRYING CASE FOR SCHOOL BOOKS, PAPERS, AND THE LIKE Bert L. Taylor, 2142 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, Ohio Filed Jan. 5, 1966, Ser. No. 518,905 4 Claims. (Cl. 15052) This invention relates to an expansible case for carrying books, papers, and the like.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a container for holding school books, papers, and the like, in an orderly manner, whose body walls comprise a plurality of superimposed folds, providing a bellows construction, whereby the container body may be readily extended or collapsed to automatically vary its cubic capacity in accordance with the number of books, papers, or other items placed therein.

Another object is to provide a light weight container made of kraft-paper, synthetic plastic, or leatherette, that does not materially add to the weight of the contained items, and therefore, when filled, may be readily and easily carried in the hands or under the arms of the user.

A further object is to provide an expansible carrying case having over-folding cover leaves that may be turned back down the sides of the case, when the case is open, with their free ends tucked under the case bottom, so that the open case Will occupy a minimal space when positioned on a table or desk top.

Still another object is to provide an expansible case of the type described having contracting means for automatically urging the closed container to the smallest possible cubic capacity, consistent with the bulk of the contained items.

These, and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification and claims, together with the accompanying drawing, wherein like parts are referred to and indicated by like reference numerals, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the expansible hand carrying case for school books, papers, and the like, that is the subject of this invention, showing the case in its empty, open and collapsed condition;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing the case in a closed, filled and expanded condition;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing the case open and with its two cover leaves folded back and tucked under the case bottom; and

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view of the case with its two cover leaves in their open positions.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, there is seen in FIGURE 1 the expansible hand carrying case for school books, paper, and the like, that is the subject of this invention, broadly indicated by reference numeral 10.

The case has a rigid rectangular bottom wall 16, preferably fabricated from fiber glass which combines strength with lightness. The bottom is made to accommodate the largest book or loose-leaf folder likely to be carried. A suggested size is 10 /2" x 12 /2".

Reference numeral indicates the expansible body of the case, which is mounted on the base 16. The body 15 has longitudinal side walls 11 and 12 joined through end walls 13 and 14.

The body walls may be fabricated from heavy kraft paper, synthetic plastic, or leatherette, in sheet form, which is bent upon itself to provide a plurality of superimposed flexible folds which results in an accordion pleated bellows construction, whereby the body 15 may be readily collapsed on, or extended away from the bottom 16.

A rigid rim is mounted on the top fold of the bellows body 15, as seen in FIGURE 4. Two stiffening ribs 18 and 19, made of fiber glass, are positioned in the top fold 3,280,871 Patented Oct. 25, 1966 immediately beneath the rim 17, as is most readily seen in FIGURE 4. These ribs provide longitudinal stability for the bellows rim.

The so formed body bellows 15 is about 1" high when normally collapsed upon the bottom 16, and may be expanded to about 10" in height when required. It is to be understood that the maximum expansion of the body 15 is predicated upon the number of folds provided, which may be varied as required, within practical limits.

Two flexible, cover leaves 22 and 23 are hingedly mounted on opposite sides of the rim 17 by any suitable means. In the preferred form shown, two lengths of adhesively backed fiber glass tape 20 and 21 are used to hingedly mount the cover leaves 22 and 23, respectively, on the rim 17, as seen in FIGURES 1 and 4. Each cover leaf has two sleeves 24, made of transparent plastic, mounted on the inner face thereof. Each sleeve 24 is open along its inner edge 30, to permit photographs, cards, memos and other items to be inserted in the sleeves for storage and viewing therethrough.

The top of the so constructed case 10 is closed by folding the top leaf 22 on to the rim 17 and then overfolding it with the other top leaf 23, as is seen most clearly in FIGURE 2. The so over-folded cover leaves 22 and 23 are held in place by two spaced flexible bands 27 and 28, as seen in FIGURE 2, which are anchored at their ends on the under-side of the bottom 16, by means of suitable rivets 29. These bands 22 and 23 are preferably in the form of flat rubber bands, although any suitable contractile material may be used.

One of the cover leaves 23, which is normally uppermost when the two covers are over-folded, and serves as the identifying cover, has a slit 26 cut therethrough, as seen in FIGURE 1.

A transparent plastic window 25 is mounted on the outer face of the cover leaf 23, over the slit 26, as seen in FIGURE 2. A sheet of paper or cardboard, bearing the owners name, or other pertinent information, may be slid through the slit 6, from the backside of the cover, on to the front side of the cover, under the window 25, through which it may be clearly viewed. Once pushed through the slit, the indicia paper will remain in place under the transparent window 25.

To position books or other items, not illustrated, in the carrying case 10, the case covers 22 and 23 are opened, as seen in FIGURE 1.

The books are stacked on the bottom 16, and the body 15 is pulled upward until its top rim 17 is even with the top of the stacked books. The two cover leaves 22 and 23 are over-folded on top of the books, and the rubber bands 27 and 28 are stretched around the case as seen in FIGURE 2. The bands 27 and 28 normally contract to hold the covers 22 and 23 in their closed, over-folded, condition and also act to draw the accordion pleated body walls 11, 12, 13 and 14 downwardly, to compress the case to the smallest possible cu bic capacity consistent with the bulk of the contained books.

The closed case can be easily carried under the arms, or in the hands of the user, without danger of shifting, sliding or dropping the contents, as may be the case when students carry a number of loosely stacked books on their way to and from classes.

When the loaded case 10 is opened and placed on a table or desk top, as seen in FIGURE 3, the bellows body 15 will normally collapse upon the bottom 16, leaving the stacked books and papers resting on the bottom 16. In this situation, the flexible cover leaves 22 and 23 can be folded downwardly over their respective side walls 11 and 12, and tucked under the bottom 16.

When so arranged, the covers 22 and 23 take up no space on the desk, and are out of the way of the user. In fact, the case, so set up, can serve as a desk basket for holding books, papers, and other items normally stored in the conventional wire basket.

When not being used to hold the covers in their closed positions, the elastic bands 27 and 28 are criss-crossed, with band 28 fitted around end wall 14 and band 27 fitted around end wall 13, as indicated in FIGURE 1. The so-arranged bands are thus out of the way, when not needed.

It is of course to be understood that the sheet materials used to fabricate the case 10, as described, may have decorative designs imprinted or embossed thereon, to enhance the appearance of the finished case 10.

It will now be clear that there has been provided a device which accomplishes the objectives heretofore set forth.

While the invention has been disclosed in its preferred form, it is to be understood that the specific embodiment thereof, as described and illustrated herein, is not to be considered in a limited sense, as there may be other forms or modifications of the invention which should also be construed to come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An expansible hand carrying case for school books, papers, and the like, comprising, a rigid bottom of rec tangular shape, a flexible accordion pleated body portion of matching shape in cross-section, arranged above the case bottom, having one end secured to the bottom and collapsible thereagainst, the other end of the body portion having a substantially rigid rectangular top rim, defining a rectangular opening contiguous with the body walls; a stiffening rib positioned in each longitudinal body wall immediately beneath the rim; two substantially flexible cover leaves, hingedly mounted on opposite sides of the top rim and adapted to over-fold each other to provide a top closure for the body; and, flexible contracting means, anchored on the case bottom, adapted to be stretched over the side walls of the body and across the two cover leaves, when the same are in their over-folded position, to, both, hold the cover leaves in their over-folded position and urge the accordion pleated body towards its collapsed position against the bottom of the case.

2. An expansible hand carrying case for school books, papers, and the like, as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the flexible contracting means comprises two, spaced, flat resilient rubber straps anchored at their ends to the underside of the case bottom.

3. An expansible hand carrying case for school books, papers, and the like, as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the cover leaves have transparent sleeves mounted on their inner faces, each of said sleeves being open along one edge and sealed along its remaining edges, adapted to receive, hold, and display photographs, picture post-cards, memos, and the like.

4. An expansible hand carrying case for school books, papers, and the like, as claimed in claim 1, wherein, one of the cover leaves has a slit cut therethrough, and a transparent plastic window mounted on the outer surface of said case cover leaf over the slit, whereby a sheet of paper inserted through the slit, from the back-side of the cover leaf, may be positioned on the front surface of the cover leaf and viewed through the window.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 518,270 4/1899 Orth l-44 2,685,316 8/1954 Krasno l50.5 3,083,877 4/1963 Gash .5 X

FOREIGN PATENTS 13,755 6/1909 Great Britain.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN EXPANSIBLE HAND CARRYING CASE FOR SCHOOL BOOKS PAPERS, AND THE LIKE, COMPRISING, A RIGID BOTTOM OF RECTANGULAR SHAPE, A FLEXIBLE ACCORDION PLEATED BODY PORTION OF MATCHING SHAPE IN CROSS-SECTION, ARRANGED ABOVE THE CASE BOTTOM, AND HAVING ONE END SECURED TO THE BOTTOM AND COLLAPSIBLE THEREAGAINST, THE OTHER END OF THE BODY PORTION HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID RECTANGULAR TOP RIM, DEFINING A RECTANGULAR OPENING CONTIGUOUS WITH THE BODY WALLS; A STIFFENING RIB PORTIONED IN EACH LONGITUDINAL BODY WALL IMMEDIATELY BENEATH THE RIM; TWO SUBSTANTIALLY FLEXIBLE COVER LEAVES, HINGEDLY MOUNTED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE TOP RIM AND ADAPTED TO OVER-FOLD EACH OTHER TO PROVIDE A TOP CLOSURE FOR THE BODY; AND, FLEXIBLE CONTRACTING MEANS, ANCHORED ON THE CASE BOTTOM, ADAPTED TO BE STRETCHED OVER THE SIDE WALLS OF THE BODY AND ACROSS THE TWO COVER LEAVES, WHEN THE SAME ARE IN THEIR OVER-FOLDED POSITION, TO, BOTH, HOLD THE COVER LEAVES IN THEIR OVER-FOLDED POSITION AND URGE THE ACCORDION PLEATED BODY TOWARDS ITS COLLAPSED POSITION AGAINST THE BOTTOM OF THE CASE. 